[kab_m2]

I have already ordered my M135i but i must admit this new Mercedes A45 AMG looks amazing and bests the BMW in many areas for the same price!

What do you guys think?

http://canberratimes.drive.com.au/mo...213-2ebsj.html

[cc3]

I expect it will be the usual AMG stuff, rock hard ride and average handling but will make a great noise. Will need smooth roads and no potholes!!

[mowflow]

Don't know about that one but initially I was torn between the A250 AMG and the 125i. I eagerly waited for the A class to come out after seeing it at the Geneva motorshow last year. Waited almost a year to get a test drive in one. I just thought it was a fantastic looking car.

Sadly, driving the thing was a bit like pulling a super model in a night club, getting her home, whipping off her dress and finding out she is a man. It was a terrible experience in so many ways and I just wanted the test drive to be over. Don't get me wrong, it's still nice to look at and it has some good points over the BMW, none of them are in the driving experience though.

I can't see the A45 being better as a driving experience than the M135i. Even they make it faster it will still be worse.

[Active]

The M135i is a firecracker! Proven! The Merc still has to prove its muscle and remember AMG has never played in this space before!

[mowflow]

The first review I read of it was by Chris Harris. it was a review from the passenger seat as for some reason MB didn't let anyone other than their test driver drive it while explaining how good the drive was and demonstrating how he could position the car so easily.

If it's that good, that much fun and that easy then why didn't they let the press drive it?

[Racing Teatray]

Originally Posted by kab999

I have already ordered my M135i but i must admit this new Mercedes A45 AMG looks amazing and bests the BMW in many areas for the same price!

What do you guys think?

http://canberratimes.drive.com.au/mo...213-2ebsj.html

Not sure about pricing down under, but here they reckon on the AMG costing around £36k, as opposed to £31k for a 5dr M135i.

Plus

• the BMW is RWD (with the option of 4WD in other markets) whereas the Merc is 4WD with a FWD bias;
• you can have the BMW as a manual, the Merc is auto-only;
• the BMW has a proper in-line 6-cylinder engine, the Merc makes do with a 4-pot; and
• the BMW can be had with 3 or 5 doors, the Merc only comes with 5...

So while it's no doubt nice and all that, it's probably more "Audi RS3" by Mercedes, rather than anything else. And the RS3 didn't trigger my "must have one these" reflex when I test-drove one.

[F20MAW73]

I like the AMG but its been styled as too much of a hot hatch for my liking.

I much prefer the understated looks of the M135i or my 125i.

[Dim73]

Originally Posted by kab999

I have already ordered my M135i but i must admit this new Mercedes A45 AMG looks amazing and bests the BMW in many areas for the same price!

What do you guys think?

http://canberratimes.drive.com.au/mo...213-2ebsj.html

M135i of course!!!

The Merc is just a bad copy of the F20/F21.

[Rall]

I had the Merc for a testdrive a couple months ago, and it looks (exterior) are definately the best thing about it.

Must say that I was surprised by the feeling of a cheap interior where the screen in specific really stood out like something you would expect to find in the kids department of Walmart.

The AMG exterior styling really fits my eye though.

[washout04]

Originally Posted by gaz26

I expect it will be the usual AMG stuff, rock hard ride and average handling but will make a great noise. Will need smooth roads and no potholes!!

and Kab999, if you live in Canberra with all our chipsealed roads, a rougher ride in the Merc would suck.

[washout04]

Originally Posted by mowflow

Don't know about that one but initially I was torn between the A250 AMG and the 125i. I eagerly waited for the A class to come out after seeing it at the Geneva motorshow last year. Waited almost a year to get a test drive in one. I just thought it was a fantastic looking car.

Sadly, driving the thing was a bit like pulling a super model in a night club, getting her home, whipping off her dress and finding out she is a man. It was a terrible experience in so many ways and I just wanted the test drive to be over. Don't get me wrong, it's still nice to look at and it has some good points over the BMW, none of them are in the driving experience though.

I can't see the A45 being better as a driving experience than the M135i. Even they make it faster it will still be worse.

Interesting feedback Mowflow. I'm in the same boat. The 125i is out in Aus, but I've been waiting for the A250 to come out for a test drive (next month) before ordering. The reviews here about the A250 mention it being more sporty than the 125i, but the 125i is faster, so I can only imagine they are describing the suspension settings (in which case I would prefer a more supple ride).

So what specifically made the a250 a terrible experience?

[ozinaldo]

Definitely an accomplishment for reaching that level of specific output. Having said that, I have zero doubt that if they would put this engine and 1M engine on the same dyno one after another it would make equal or less hp and tq wouldn't even come close to 1M's. Even M135i tq should be way above, no doubt about it. It is just marketing these numbers.

0-100 km/h times must be true and respectable and that's about it when it comes to good stuff I can say about the performance of a car with this set up. And why did I just say that?

Because, I have my serious doubts about a front biased awd system in a sports car.

I have serious concerns about electro-mechanical steering in every car other than minivans.

Not even offering a manual says a lot.

My bet it has lag and throttle response is not great, due to small engine big turbo configuration a la STIs and EVOs.

Exterior styling is good but nothing really aggressive enough. It seems to be trying to please everyone.

Interior is better looking than the exterior from the photos other than the hideous fixed screen, I have been inside a B series, also was driving it for a few hours, which is the same car basically and that screen is by far the worst anyone could design for otherwise a fine interior.

The seats are gorgeous, I envy them. But someone needs to actually test them and tell us if they are comfortable and supportive or just the looks.

I agree that it will not match a good BMW like M135i in terms of driving feeling. I am not going to be surprised if serious reviewers soon find out that it is yet another RS3 with no soul and driving excitement but accomplishing big numbers for number-hunters.

It will sell like a Fiesta.

I have no evidence but I am told to be intuitive so please don't burn me!

[kab_m2]

Originally Posted by Woland's Advocate

Not sure about pricing down under, but here they reckon on the AMG costing around £36k, as opposed to £31k for a 5dr M135i.

I think a lot of the options for the BMW come standard on the Merc so it works out the same price

I just cant figure out the pricing for this thing! Its outrageously cheap for a full AMG model with supercar rivalling specs! They will definitely cannibalise their own models like the C63! If you dont mind a hatch, why would you even consider the C class which is almost double the price???

[ozinaldo]

Originally Posted by kab999

I think a lot of the options for the BMW come standard on the Merc so it works out the same price

I just cant figure out the pricing for this thing! Its outrageously cheap for a full AMG model with supercar rivalling specs! They will definitely cannibalise their own models like the C63! If you dont mind a hatch, why would you even consider the C class which is almost double the price???

I agree price is fantastic, forgot to write in my above-long post.

You do answer yourself in your post though: people do mind a hatch! People with real money and especially Mercedes regulars generally prefer to pay more for a bigger-heavier model up in the model line with same or less performance. Hatch market is very different and people in general are stupid when it comes to making sense in their car purchase!

This car is going to attract newcomers to Mercedes brand, not other Mercedes clients; with its specifications, infinite options, very very competitive base price and don't forget that it is not an intimidating car, anyone and everyone can drive this kind of a car everywhere; auto box-fwd biased awd, powerful engine with broad tq, adaptive this and adaptive that. A blind man without legs could drive it on frozen tundra.

[Rall]

And I forgot to mention that the retro styled air vents are placed horriby on the dash. Taking up the best knob positions in the car.

[ttimbo]

My thoughts are (1) the AMG 2L motor is new, and quite unproven, but is quite highly stressed for that output (1.8bar boost, which is high for a "stock" engine); and (2) this is a new market for Merc/AMG, and they really need sharper pricing.

[ticamihai2003]

Originally Posted by ttimbo

My thoughts are (1) the AMG 2L motor is new, and quite unproven, but is quite highly stressed for that output (1.8bar boost, which is high for a "stock" engine); and (2) this is a new market for Merc/AMG, and they really need sharper pricing.

aren't mercedes/AMG engines among the most reliable in the world? The one in the A is also hand made which means it may be as good in terms of reliability as the other AMG models.


Anyway we should aspect test drives from the important car magazine/journalists and see what they say.

As for the looks, the A 45 definitely looks better than the M135i but I have to say I kind of prefer the BMW interior(except the seats over the ones in the A)

Check this out

[WeekendDriver]

So many people like the look of the A-Class, but the shape and its proportion make it look like a mini van to me. And fake carbon fiber interior, what's the point?

[ticamihai2003]

Originally Posted by WeekendDriver

So many people like the look of the A-Class, but the shape and its proportion make it look like a mini van to me. And fake carbon fiber interior, what's the point?

it would look like a mini van if it was bigger like the B class. In real life is very sleek and sporty and looks nothing like a mini van. I do not like the A over the 1'er a lot more but sometimes just a little is enough to make you think twice . Again...if the driving for the A45 is poor like the A250 reviews say, I would not think twice about choosing the M135i

[WeekendDriver]

Originally Posted by ticamihai2003

it would look like a mini van if it was bigger like the B class. In real life is very sleek and sporty and looks nothing like a mini van. I do not like the A over the 1'er a lot more but sometimes just a little is enough to make you think twice . Again...if the driving for the A45 is poor like the A250 reviews say, I would not think twice about choosing the M135i

Haha...it is probably just me trying to right my decision to go for the M135i.

[ovekvam]

I generally don't like modern Mercedes design, but I have to admit that this version of the car looks more sporty than usual. Reminds me of Abarth styling.

[ticamihai2003]

Originally Posted by WeekendDriver

Haha...it is probably just me trying to right my decision to go for the M135i.

This is a thread about the competition of the M135i. So far there is only the A45 AMG because the Audi S3 in my opinion is miles behind the two.

So for people who are in the market for a hot hatch/best hot hatch, there is either the choice of the 1'er or the A class.

I would say the M135i has an advantage at the moment because of the excellent reviews. It remains to be seen if the A45 takes the lead after the reviews in a month or two.